LET'S TALK

Teenage Binge Drinking

excerpt below is a written heart-cry of many teens.Here's The Heart Cry Of A Particular Teen Drunk

"I've only just started going to parties, and I've only drunk alcohol at 3 of them, but I'm worried about how I handle alcohol. I've gotten drunk at all three, and I have done things that I regret. At the last party I had way too much to drink causing me to have an argument with my best friend which wasn't sorted out for days and made me worry about my depression and whether it was coming back or not. Because of this, you would think I'd never want to drink again, but I still really want to. If I'm not drinking my own alcohol, I'll be stealing other people's and it's scaring me. Once I start I can't stop. But the worst part is I'm not sure if I want to stop. I like being drunk, it makes me feel braver, but if it makes me do things like shout at my best friend, why do I still want to drink?? Does anyone know where I can find online help for alcohol related problems? Thanks"

---How Many Teens Are In This State Today?

Among the things he

said is, "I like being drunk, it makes me FEEL braver."

But if you read the

excerpt again, you'll notice some inconsistencies. When he is drunk,

-He argues

-He shouts

-He does things he regrets

-He worries about a come-back of his depression

-He steals other people's drinks

-He gets scared

-He can't stop drinking once he starts

-And he is new to the alcohol world.

And he said it makes him feel braver?

If you are brave, you don’t argue with people and particularly not

with your friends.

You reason, negotiate and hold dialogue sessions with them.

As a teenager, drinking large amounts of alcohol on a regular basis can

damage your body, relationships and social life. You could see some

of the damaging effects in the above excerpt.

The health risks of your alcohol binge drinking is quite high and often

include:

-Having Accidents

-Low productivity or outright lack of productivity.

For example, how easy is it for you to turn in a school assignment

when you've been on an alcohol drinking spree?

-Dropping out from school

-Fighting and violence

-Homicides and suicides

-Engaging in premarital sex and their consequences

-Feeling depressed

-Passing out

-Liver damage

-Stomach ulcers

-Weight problems

-Alcohol poisoning. Here, as a result of alcohol binge drinking,

Alcohol level or concentration in the blood becomes too high.

The body eliminates alcohol naturally, but when

the supply is too much, the rate doesn’t exactly rise to match it. The result is alcohol poisoning.

-Neurological damage

-Heart problems

-Nausea and Vomiting

-Addiction. Here you could become physically and psychologically

alcohol-dependent. You couldn't think of handling anything

without first consuming alcohol. Having drinks handy becomes an

obsession and more important than anything else.

This is spelt A-L-C-O-H-O-L-I-S-M!

With all these problems linked with teenage binge drinking,

would the false 'makes me feel brave' be enough reason to get involved